วันจันทร์ที่ 14 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2554

The Japanese Bushido Code

The term bushido is one that derives from a legendary duration of Japanese antiquity. Most are well aware of the fact that bushido refers to the code of the samurai. Or, more accurately, they know what the term refers to in the most normal of descriptions. The might not be fully aware of how serious and impactful bushido was to the improvement of contemporary Japanese society. They might also not be aware of how the impact of bushido still resonates with population all throughout the globe to the contemporary day.

So, what exactly was/is the plan of bushido?

The word bushido can be loosely described as "The Way of the Warrior" which most population will erroneously assume exclusively means the study of the martial arts and fighting systems. While martial arts - particularly the study of jujitsu and swordsmanship were very leading to the samurai, they were not heartless mercenaries. Rather, they adhered to a code of honor that greatly set them apart from others known for their war-faring abilities.

Ultimately, the goal of bushido was not to wage war or conduct battles. Rather, the goals were to reserve the peace. Bushido was not about conquest. It was about establishing an orderly society in servitude to the feudal lords that controlled localities in Japan at the time.

The origins of bushido really predate the era of feudal Japan. To a great extent, much of bushido ideas can trace its origins to Zen Buddhism which it shares much in common. The relationship between the two is often rooted in the plan of non-attachment. Attachment can be considered a disease of the mind because it frequently revolves colse to desires that may not be helpful to the individual. The goal of the samurai was to serve his lord and not to be attached to earthly things. A samurai was required to serve his lord honorably and to never act in a way that would bring disgrace. Doing so often resulted in the samurai committing ritual suicide. This was done to restore lost honor and institute piety and duty to the lord the samurai served. For many samurai, death was never something to be feared. To many, the noblest death would be to die in battle in service of a master.

While considerable warriors samurai were humble and pious since such behavior - and not arrogance - were considered needful qualities the samurai should possess.

Obviously, the days of the samurai are long gone. What we are left with is the legacy of the samurai and the code of bushido. While no one lives a literal bushido-samurai lifestyle, many do possess lifestyles that are extremely influenced by the legacy of bushido. This should not be surprising. There is much value found in the noble and moral life the samurai were known to embody. contemporary martial artists often pattern their certain thinking attitudes and honest nature after that of the code of the samurai. This is a good thing because most vices and improper behavioral choices would be considered abhorrent from the perspective of a samurai.

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